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Video: Zuckerberg gift: Philanthropy or damage control?

Transcript of: Zuckerberg gift: Philanthropy or damage control?

MATT LAUER, co-host:As we first told you on Thursday,
Facebook
founder
Mark Zuckerberg
is pledging to donate $100 million to one
school district
in
New Jersey
. Is it pure generosity or is it image-building?
NBC
's
Mara Schiavocampo
is in
Newark
,
New Jersey
, with more.
Mara
, good morning to you.

MARA SCHIAVOCAMPO reporting:Well, good morning,
Matt.
That announcement will have a
big impact
on the schools here in
Newark
.
Twenty-six
-year-old billionaire
Zuckerberg
will make an unprecedented gift later this morning as a guest on "
The Oprah Winfrey Show
."

SCHIAVOCAMPO:When it comes to making big gift announcements, there's no better venue than "
The Oprah Winfrey Show
."

SCHIAVOCAMPO:And today the tradition continues.
Facebook
founder
Mark Zuckerberg
is expected to come bearing gifts, announcing a $100 million donation to the deeply troubled
public school
system in
Newark
,
New Jersey
, joined by
New Jersey
Governor
Chris Christie
and
Newark
's charismatic mayor,
Cory Booker
. It is the largest known public donation ever by
Zuckerberg
, worth an estimated $6.7 billion. He has no ties to
New Jersey
or
Newark
, causing some to wonder if this very big gift could be a very big
public relations
maneuver.

SCHIAVOCAMPO:The announcement comes exactly one week before the movie "The Social Network" hits theaters to rave reviews, depicting the alleged drama behind
Facebook
's founding, and portraying
Zuckerberg
as a socially awkward, unscrupulous computer geek who stole the idea for
Facebook
from his classmates.
Facebook
has called the movie fiction. But it's just the latest in bad publicity.

Ms. MARVET BRITTO (PR Brand Strategist):The explosive impact of a $100 million donation will far outweigh any impact that a movie will make, simply because the donation will be the reality of
Mark Zuckerberg
.

SCHIAVOCAMPO:The charitable gift will definitely help more than just
Zuckerberg
's image.

Mayor CORY BOOKER (Mayor of Newark, New Jersey):We deserve a city where our children cannot just survive but thrive.

SCHIAVOCAMPO:Newark
has one of the country's worst performing
school districts
, despite the fact that they already spend plenty of money on education, about $20,000 a year per student, more than tuition to elite private schools. Mr. DERRELL BRADFORD (Executive Director, "Excellent Education For Everyone"): The concern is giving the same people more money will give you the same result.

SCHIAVOCAMPO:But $100 million can't hurt, and will likely help the controversial king of
Facebook
make a few new friends. Sources close to
Zuckerberg
deny the donation is a publicity stunt to draw attention away from the
Facebook
movie. Officials here in
Newark
hope it will attract matching donations, eventually bringing $200 million to the schools. It's also reportedly the first installment in a larger
education foundation